Love on the Silver Screen 8 romantic films to warm you up this Valentine’s Day

’Tis the season for chick flicks. There, I said it. February is the month of love. To get in the mood, snap up some of the best romantic films of the year. Here are my favorites.

Magic Mike($14.99) at Target
Yes, I count this as a romantic dramedy. Although you will see plenty of tanned, rock-solid abs from the cast, which includes Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer and Matthew McConaughey, the movie also has a love story at its center. Tatum plays Magic Mike, a male stripper who falls in love with his best friend’s sister. But the only way Mike can win her heart is by ditching the nightlife and going for his dreams of being a furniture designer. (Get $5 off orders of $50 or more with Target sales.)

Friends With Kids($21.83) at MovieMars.com
Jennifer Westfeldt (whom you might know because you’re jealous she’s been dating Jon Hamm for a bazillion years) both directs this ensemble flick and stars as the main character, Julie. She and her best male friend, Jason (played by Adam Scott), are the only ones in their friend group (which includes Kristen Wiig, Chris O’Dowd, Maya Rudolph and Jon Hamm) who aren’t married and with child. Jason and Julie decide to have a kid together while keeping their relationship platonic, but awkward situations ensue when the two wind up falling in love. (Save 10 percent with MovieMars.com coupons.)

Your Sister’s Sister($22.49) at Movies Unlimited
An indie rom-com directed by Lynn Shelton (best known for Humpday), Your Sister’s Sister co-stars Emily Blunt and Rosemarie DeWitt as two sisters. Blunt’s character, Iris, invites her friend Jack (Mark Duplass) to her family’s cabin so he can recoup from the recent death of his brother. Jack runs into Iris’ sister, Hannah, who is also there to find solace after a breakup, and the two hook up. Your Sister’s Sister is a different sort of rom-com, one that’s more realistic and heartfelt than the usual Hollywood fare. (Get free shipping on orders over $50 with Movies Unlimited coupons.)

Hope Springs($21.69) at Barnes & Noble
Meryl Streep doesn’t only star in Oscar bait. Sometimes, she’s in movies the general public loves. In Hope Springs, she’s married to an ornery Tommy Lee Jones (is there any other version of the cantankerous actor?) and looking to spice up their dead love life. The solution: a weeklong retreat with a marriage therapist played by Steve Carell. Oh, so many hijinks.

Ruby Sparks($20.69) at Walmart
The joke about men is that they wish they could create the perfect woman, detailing what she would look like, how she would talk and what she would say. In Ruby Sparks, a novelist named Calvin (Paul Dano) does just that, without at first realizing that his dream girl, Ruby (Zoe Kazan), is entirely a product of his imagination. This is a surrealist romantic comedy that explores the adage “Be careful what you wish for” to sweet effect.

The Five-Year Engagement ($14.84) at Amazon
The comedy team behind Forgetting Sarah Marshall,The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up put together this sweet tale of a couple (played by Jason Segel and Emily Blunt) who keep delaying their wedding date because of Blunt’s career needs. Less on the raunchy side and more on the charming side, the flick explores the stumbling blocks and obstacles that occur during an extra-long trip down the aisle.

Moonrise Kingdom($24.98) at Amoeba Music
Directed by indie auteur Wes Anderson, Moonrise Kingdom is an unconventional romantic comedy. For one thing, the two leads, Sam and Suzy (played by Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward), are 12-year-olds. For another, it’s stocked with blockbuster stars and Oscar-winning actors like Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, Edward Norton and Bruce Willis, who all portray either quirky parents or authority figures. The story takes place in 1965 and centers on the young couple’s quest to be together. Sam is an orphan who doesn’t quite fit in, and when he convinces Suzy to run away with him, a frantic search begins in their New England coastal town. (Get free shipping on movies at Amoeba Music.)

The Vow($10) at Amazon
Based on a true story, The Vow is a straight and narrow romantic dramedy starring Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams, the king and queen of the modern rom-com. McAdams and Tatum play newlyweds Paige and Leo who get into a devastating car crash that gives Paige amnesia, which sets her memory back five years. The problem: She thinks she’s still in love with her ex-fiancé and doesn’t remember her life with Leo at all. Now he must use the power of true love to re-create their life together and woo her all over again.

Tricia Romano is a freelance writer who lives and works in Seattle. She likes reading on her Kindle and writing about technology.

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